So, I'm trying to create a whisper balloon, like the one in the upper left of this picture; I'm using Photoshop to do it.

Now...I can think of a lot of ways to try to make this--heck, I could definitely succeed; this is easy enough to accomplish--but I'd like to automate the process if I can. I've been mostly using Layer Styles in Photoshop to outline dialogue baloons, giving the balloon a solid black halo around it. But I don't know of any way to make a dashed line like the one above. I tried making an alternating black-and-white, diagonal pattern and using that, but one end of the balloon doesn't look dashed that way; I got a similar problem with a checkerboard pattern:

My only other idea is to make a radial pattern coming out from the center...But so far as I can tell, there is no automatable way in Photoshop to make a dashed outline that can be saved as a preset and used when needed, that one must go in manually and make the line dashed oneself.

Unless I'm wrong. Has anyone else done this, does anyone else have a technique which I haven't thought of?

Last edited by BionicDance on Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

But, my goodness, it's a pain in the patookas! Y'd think they'da made it easier to do! Seriously!

Anyone wants to know how I did it, I'll tell you, but it's complicated, with a lot of niggling little details that you have to get juuuuuust right or certain options/tools will be grayed out when you think they shouldn't be, things like that. GIGANTIC pain in the butt to make all of it come together; probably easier once you know how, but figuring it out and explaining it is just...GRAAGH! Do not want! Just sayin'.

In general terms, you want to make a Path in Photoshop--but NOT a filled one--that's in the same shape as your dialogue balloon and Stroke along that path using a dashed brush (which you also have to figure out how to make). Had to go through eighty-eleven BAJILLION Photoshop tutorials before I found this, and even then they left out a few steps/details that I had to learn for myself through experimentation.

Anyway...I'm happy to answer any questions if this is something people wanna know how to do. Just sayin'.

Heyhey, I'm not sure if this is how you did it, but it works for me! I went ahead and made a dashed line brush. A 4x10 brick of black. I defined it, then I went into brush settings, set spacing to 500% and control angle by "direction." When I want to make a whisper bubble, I use the ellipse tool (pen tool) create the desired shape, fill with white, then stroke using the dashed line brush (on a separate layer if you like). The result looks pretty good, I think. Here's a demo.

Hope that helps!

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Yeah, that's essentially what I've done. A few details are different, slight tweak of the settings, but yeah.

Mind you, your balloon doesn't have the tail on it to point at the character, but it's basically the same thing. I just wish there was a way to do it that wasn't path-based...can be awfully frustrating, sometimes, dealing with those.

Ok, since this is solved I can go ahead and say the obvious – use Illustrator or Indesign. Make the bubble, drag it over as a smart object, end of story.

Or this in PS.

1. Draw the balloon as a white area.

(start recording action here)

2. Layer effects - stroke

3. Make an empty new layer below the balloon.

4. Merge balloon layer with the empty layer.

5. Lock transparency for the layer

(end action here)

6. with a hard edged brush, cut white lines into the stroke. No need to worry about going over the lines since you locked transparency. No need to be mathematically accurate either, readers will understand it's a whisper.

This took me about 30 seconds without the action so when you have that, it should take about 20. Quick enough? Ok, I was lazy and didn't make it balloony but it doesn't matter since the balloon area can be any shape you want.

I've no idea what you mean by "filter a layer". That could mean so very many things; can you be a bit more specific?Also, why would you need to have a round section removed from a square background, are you not selecting a round area right from the start?

I think I need more context to truly understand your question; what are you actually doing? What are your procedures and what specifically are you tryign to accomplish by doing them? It may well be that you're attempting this in a way which none of us expect...